An early account of wild western North Carolina before the 19th century was captured by Pennsylvania native John Brown. He traveled through an area now known as Salisbury, Statesville, Wilkesboro, Morganton, and Asheville for six months in 1795 looking to purchase land in the region. During his travels he commented on social and economic conditions, as well as the general topography of the area in a journal which is reprinted here.

The article looks at the various attempts by state politicians to enlist the \"disfranchised\" to their political causes, including refusal to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment. The author attempts to both quantify and qualify those who considered themselves disfranchised following defeat in the Civil War and this group's influence on government.

Sectionalism became a problem during the early history of the colony, exacerbated by the scope and differing geography of the territory. Conflict began in 1725 with the first permanent settlement in the Cape Fear area and escalated over the issue of political representation. The sheer size of the colony caused disagreements between representatives because legislative measures good for one region were often in conflict with another area of the colony.